My View - Comic Reviews by David LeBlanc: October 2013

Friday, October 25, 2013

Comic Reviews 10/25/13

Another week, another FOREVER EVIL tie-in mini-series. This one deals with
flashes Rogues Gallery as they return to Central City after the meeting held by
the Crime Syndicate recruiting the world’s villains for their Secret Society of
Super Villains. Well, the Rogues are not about joining and so they returned to
their home town only to find it has already been attacked and greatly damaged by
Gorilla Grod. There is some dissension among the Rogues as to whether or not
they should join in with the Syndicate but Captain Cold is the leader and
insists they stay independent. He is more interested right now in finding out if
his sister Lisa, aka Glider, is still alive in the hospital. This whole story is
about three sets of conflicts. The first occurs when the group comes across a
few policemen who have been injured and chained to trees. The conflict is among
the Rogues when Cold decides to set them free. Later at the hospital the reunion
with Lisa is cut short when a group of villains led by Black Bison arrive to
finish off the city, starting with the hospital. This provides the action part
of the story as the various villains match up - one to finish destruction and
the other to stop it. It is a pretty good fight sequence that shows how well the
Rogues work as a team. The cliffhanger at the end shows what is in store for the
Rogues as a result of their open defiance of the Crime Syndicate. This story is
easy to follow and flows nicely through the plot points in sequence. You do not
really need prior knowledge of their history to understand the Rogues’
motivations and relationships. It is reasonable this group would not want to be
part of the planned world domination, they only care about their own business. I
am not a big fan of the art although it is adequate. It seems darker and muddled
when it does not need to be. This is still an entertaining book and a good tie-
in that is accessible for other than fans of The Flash.

Title: LETTER 44
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Oni Press
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Alberto Jimenez Albuquerque
Colors: Guy Major
Letters: Shawn DePasquale
Price (USD): $1.00
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction

I think it is a really smart idea to offer the first issue of a new series for
only a dollar. Oni is not as big a player in the comic market as several others
but they put out some decent products that deserve exposure so the low cost of
the first issue may bring in readers who might otherwise pass it by. And this
comic is worth a buck for sure. The setting is somewhat contemporary times as
the new president is about to be sworn in. The names have been changed but you
get the distinct impression that this president is an alternate Earth
replacement for Obama. President Stephen Blades appears to be Hispanic and is
following the two-term presidency of a president who has gotten the US involved
in two wars in the Middle East over WMDs that were never found. The real
explanation for the buildup of the military and the ongoing wars is the crux of
the plot. As Blades enters the oval office he finds a letter on the desk from
his predecessor, as has been the custom for decades. This is the famous Letter
44 of the title. In it the about to be former president explains that early in
his presidency NASA detected some form of mining or construction going on in the
asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They concluded it must be an alien
presence though no attempt at contact has been made for seven years. He explains
that he wanted as many combat ready soldiers as he could get while pumping as
much as he could into defense R&D. We need to be ready if those things decide to
come to Earth. Finally the letter reveals that the government secretly built a
deep space exploration ship in orbit and a team of seven scientists and soldiers
have been on their way to investigate for the last three years. In fact they are
almost at the rendezvous point as Blades takes office. Only the Joint Chiefs and
the Secretary of Defense are aware of the mission and the presence in the
asteroid belt has been kept secret to even the intelligence agencies. That is
the set up for the story about to unfold. In the first issue we follow blades on
his first day, meeting with the Joint Chiefs and even communicating through a
fourteen minute time delay with the astronauts. We get a brief introduction to
the members of the team as they approach some form of barrier around their
destination that have made unmanned probes useless for relaying any information
back to Earth. The tension is building on Earth on in space since no one really
knows what they will find or if they will survive at all if discovered. I like
the premise and so far the creative team has delivered with a solid script and
decent enough art. There are a couple of twists to be discovered when you read
this one but as I said it is well worth a dollar to see for yourself.

Title: KINGS WATCH
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Marc Laming
Colors: Jordan Boyd
Letters: Simon Bowland
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction

If you are a fan of classic pulp and golden age comics then this comic should
interest you. In case you can’t tell from the cover it features Mandrake the
Magician, The Phantom and Flash Gordon. What brings them together is unearthly
phenomena occurring around the world. Strange bursts of energy are lighting up
the sky periodically. Along with this people all over the world are having
recurring nightmares of creatures that look like they are out of a myth or
fantasy chasing them. This ties in with one lead character as Dale Arden is
having these nightmares though she has not told anyone. Each of the three heroes
are on the case to different degrees. We only get a hint of what might be
happening from a scene involving a cult headed up by the Cobra. He learns that
something called the King’s Watch is located in Africa and he is sure some form
of gate opened up and let something through. When we get our own look at a
certain place in Africa we find a camera safari being attacked by a being
clearly not of this Earth. Fortunately for them the Phantom arrives in time.
Mandrake has the least amount of panel time in this chapter adding little to the
plot or the solution to the mystery. Perhaps the most time is spent on Flash
Gordon whose father has been funding work on a space plane and now Flash sees it
as an opportunity to investigate the sky lights up close. There are several plot
threads throughout the issue that will take a while to bring together in future
issues. None of the major characters have been brought together and you know
that must eventually occur. For now it is a mystery with several facets. The
characterizations seem true, especially the Phantom. The art is very detailed
and colored brilliantly. So far it is a decent comic that could get better as it
goes forward.

Title: IMAGINE AGENTS
Issue Number: 1 (of 4)
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Creator: Brian Joines
Writer: Brian Joines
Artist: Bachan
Colors: Ruth Redmond
Letters: Deron Bennett
Cover Artist: Khary Randolph w/Matthew Wilson
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction

This one is on the lighter side even though it involves some scary characters.
The Imagine Agents are people who take care of imaginary friends. This is a
world where imaginary friends are real. Yes only the kids who make them up can
see them - that is except for our agents with special technology. Once the kid
stops believing they can no longer see their friends and so the agents help
relocate the good ones to a special place where they can live with others of
their kind. The bad ones are another story. Naturally the name of such an
agency is an acronym. In this case Imagine stands for Institute for the
Management, Acclimation, Guardianship and Incarceration of Notional Entities.
The story follows two such agents, veteran Dave Slatern and his somewhat rookie
partner Terry Snowgoose. Their first assignment is to stop an out of control
entity called Moog of Mog and is a cross between an Easter Island statue and a
giant millipede. He has been wrecking the neighborhood where his human lives.
The scene serves several purposes. It shows us how the agents work and the tools
they have at their disposal. Explains how not all imaginary friends are good, in
fact some of them are out of control, like invaders from another dimension.
Finally it introduces the main characters and gives us a glimpse of their
personalities. So with the premise established the two agents move on to the
next case – an imaginary on his last day as the boy who imagined him has just
gotten too old to see it anymore. This is Blounder – a lovable pink blob who
they bring to live with other nice imagines who no longer have a human. But the
bigger plot is about to begin when Slatern learns that a particularly bad
imagine that goes by the name of Dapple is headed their way. He is a very bad
imagine who even jumped an agent and got his weapon. This is one dangerous being
and very sneaky as you will see. As I said this is a more lighthearted comic. It
is similar to MEN IN BLACK. The focus right now is on the kids and their
imaginary friends and the plot being hatched by Dapple. The art is perfect for
this type of story with terrific layouts and perspective and beautiful coloring.
It is humorous science fiction that is fun for all ages.

Title: S.H.O.O.T. FIRST
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: The Bottle Jinn
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: Justin Aclin
Artist: Nicolas Daniel Selma
Colors: Marlac
Letters: Amanda Aguilar Selma
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction

This is another one of those secret government agency stories dealing with
supernatural beings. This super-secret agency has a base deep underground in
Dubai. They are S.H.O.O.T. – Secular Humanist Occult Obliteration Task Force and
of course they are around to save the world. The weapons division is called
S.H.A.R.D. – Secular Humanist Applications Research and Development. They all
believe for ages mankind has been manipulated by powerful creatures who use the
blind faith of mankind as energy to make themselves powerful. They take the
forms of demons, angels, yeti, elves, Jinn and others. The secret to these
agents of SHOOT is that they are doubters, they have no firm religious beliefs.
Their weapons are designed so that only such non-believers can operate them. Now
I am one more than willing to suspend disbelief for a good story but making a
gun that “knows” you don’t believe in God is a big stretch. This is not a small
plot point either. After a fight with a Jin at a mosque goes bad the team is
saved by a Muslim who has decided he no longer believes and so when he retrieves
a fallen weapon he is able to fire it. These bad guys, disguised as humans, have
been staging fake bombings at mosques as a cover to kidnap the faithful for
their master plan. Unknown to SHOOT there is a mole in their midst. It will take
more than a new recruit to face what comes next. Meanwhile the field team
leader, Mrs. Brookstone, has problems to contend with at home with her young
son. Strangely that will work into the plot as well. This is not a bad comic.
The art is pretty good. I guess I am just not that interested in the genre very
much and the plot flaw I mentioned earlier does not help. You may have a
different opinion.

Title: LINE OF DEFENSE 3000AD
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Payback
Publisher: DC
Creator: Based on the Free-to-Play MMO game by Derek Smart
Writer: Ricardo Sanchez
Artist: Brian Ching
Colors: Sergi Erra and David Lopez
Letters: Deron Bennett
Cover Artist: Sergio Sandoval
Price (USD): $3.99?
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction

This comic is interesting to me because it is based on an online game. Most of
these systems have a backstory that sets up the action involving the players. I
am always curious to see if it is solid enough to make for interesting ready as
a story on its own. In this case it seems to be pretty good science fiction. It
is set in the far future, 3000AD. Humanity has of course spread out through the
galaxy and a Galactic Command was set up in 2993 to maintain lawfulness among
the member nation’s territories. But like many of these stories the government
military are looked upon as oppressors and soon there is an insurgency
spreading. As the story begins it focuses on the planet Lyrius where the
insurgents have overrun decommissioned GALCOM bases. It is a strategic location
for the insurgents to use as a base of operations and now the two opposing
forces are at a stalemate both on the planet and in orbit. This story focuses on
Akasuki Svenson a squad leader for the insurgents. She is a bit of a rogue,
often disobeying orders to get the job done or save other soldiers. Her actions
are barely tolerated by the insurgent commander Lars Kaine. Now his tolerance is
about to be tested. They have learned that the GALCOM Field Commander Dansing is
coming planet side to inspect repairs on the GALCOM controlled station. Kaine
sees it as an opportunity to attack the GALCOM space station and orders Svenson
to lead the attack. His is the right strategic move. Svenson on the other hand
sees an opportunity to get the Commander herself. You can see it coming - if she
has to go do it herself she will find a way to kill Commander Dansing. The story
is all about Svenson. We see her as a child when she witnesses her father’s
execution by GALCOM troops for being an insurgent. As an older girl she tries to
exact revenge and almost succeeds. We see how she became tough enough to be the
best at what she does. The rest of the story highlights the tactics and
technology of this future conflict. There are some neat toys and Svenson uses
them skillfully to get to her final objective. The art is good enough but could
use a bit more detail in the characters. It works fine for this story, which
held my attention through the end. I was pleasantly surprised with this comic. I
think you may be as well.

*****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!! WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!

If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only. Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week’s trivia question:

He was the radio voice of Superman, but he was better known for what quiz show?

TO TELL THE TRUTH about Bud Collyer, he was the host of that show and the radio
voice of Superman.

Here is your no prize question:

What is the phrase shortened to the common term sonar?
Sonar stands for Sound Navigation And Ranging.

THIS WEEK’S TRIVIA QUESTION:

What other comic cover did THE SIMPSONS COMICS #1 pay homage to?

Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don’t hesitate to send in an answer – even days after it appears.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Comic Reviews 11/20/13

REVIEWS

The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.

I take a look at six comics this week that are all first issues, sort of.

Title: ELFQUEST: THE FINAL QUEST SPECIAL
Issue Number: ONE-SHOT
Publisher: Dark Horse
Creator: Wendy Richard Pini
Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini
Artist: Wendy Pini
Letters: Nate Piekos
Price (USD): $5.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Fantasy
Mature – Comics on the Edge

ELFQUEST first began publishing in 1978, the labor of love of Wendy and Richard
Pini. Their company WaRP Graphics (the letters stand for Wendy and Richard Pini)
rode the success of the black & white boom in the eighties and Elfquest has seen
many ups and downs since then. The latest chapter is being published by Dark
Horse and carries on the legend as it moves forward. The history is too rich to
easily recap what has gone before. Indeed it would be a prodigious task for
anyone to try to collect all the back issues either the originals or various
reprints. This special serves to fill in some of the details for new readers as
well as begin a new chapter going forward. The inside front cover gives a basic
paragraph about the World of Two Moons, the setting for the stories. For
generations the elves sought refuge from a primitive, savage world. They finally
found it in the Palace of the High Ones. In this refuge, disguised from sight of
humans and their enemies, Chief Cutter and his Wolfriders, as the elves are
known to use wolves for transport, avoid the wrath of nature and the ever
expanding human population. As a set up for the ongoing series it is mentioned
that some of the elves began to lose their skills that once aided them in battle
and allowed them to survive. It seems this lack of skill may play a part in
their undoing in an ultimate test of survival. But that is for the upcoming
series. This book serves to introduce not only the elves in the Palace but other
tribes scattered about. It seems there are elves that adapted to live in the
ocean. Some live in the desert underground as well. There are episodes in each
of these locals. This special covers three major events in the lives of the
elves. Two of them involves births and one a death. It begins with a most
unusual birth. The elf leader Cutter is about to become a grandfather for the
first time. His son Ikopek is married to a human, Shuna, and she is giving birth
to their first son. After the birth they announce their intention to part from
the tribe and make a home of their own. Later Cutter’s mate, Leetah, travels on
a magic vessel, made from a piece of the palace piloted by Skywise, along with
Sunstream to witness the birth of her second grandchild by Brill a sea elf.
After they arrive Sunstream is transformed into a water breather so that he may
be with his wife as she gives birth. On the way back Leetah and Skywise make a
detour and bring another back with them to tell a tale of another tribe that had
unpleasant dealings with humans. There are other short stories and remembrances
of things from the past and near the end there is a tragic death that reinforces
the harsh realities of life outside the Palace. The most outstanding feature of
ELFQUEST has always been Wendy Pini’s impeccable art. The dozens of characters
have their own unique look and costume. The action flows nicely from panel to
panel flawlessly. There is a lot of emotion among the characters and the stories
touch on a variety of subjects. The ongoing series will no doubt focus on a
major plot with fewer sidelines as this issue requires. But to get a feel for
the ELFQUEST universe this is a great introduction.

Title: CRYPTOZOIC MAN
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Decapitation Strike
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Creators: Bryan Johnson & Walt Flanagan
Writer: Bryan Johnson
Artist: Walt Flanagan
Inker: Chris Ivy
Colors: Wayne Jansen
Letters: Marshall Dillon
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Horror
Mature – Comics on the Edge

If you have not heard of this comic it was theoretically spawned in a
conversation on the television “reality” show COMIC BOOK MEN produced by Kevin
Smith at his very own comic shop in New Jersey, “Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret
Stash.” The manager of the store Walt Flanagan and employee Bryan Johnson
pitched the comic to Dynamite at the end of the last season and the first issue
is out just as the new season of COMIC BOOK MEN begins. It is very difficult to
describe this comic, let alone its main character. Once you wade through a
jumbled mess of scenes that go back and forth in sequence you get to the origin
of Cryptozoic Man. He is Alan Ostman who was abducted by aliens and transformed
into what appears to be an amalgam of the various cryptids like Bigfoot, Yeti,
Nessy and others. He was apparently given the mission to eventually face and
defeat the villain who is a guy in a pink suit wearing a pig mask, not unlike a
character seen often in DC’s BATMAN comics. It is only after doing the alien’s
bidding that Ostman can return to normal and regain his daughter who went
missing long ago somewhere in the northwest Cascades. As I said this is a
jumbled mess with some of the worse dialogue I have seen in a comic. The art is
actually the best part of the comic. By that I mean it is competent and well
executed for what is called for, some of which is very gory. But that can’t save
bad dialogue and poor plotting. I get a kick out of the TV show for what it is,
sort of a PAWN STARS for geeks but I would not recommend you buy this comic if
you feel the same way. It is just not worth the time or money.

Title: THREE
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Image
Creators: Kieron Gillen, Ryan Kelly & Jordie Bellaire
Art: Ryan Kelly
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Historical Fiction
Mature – Comics on the Edge

Kieron explains in the text pages that this comic is going to be about another
side of Sparta most people don’t know about. While the popular image of Sparta
is about the freemen of Greece who fought off the Persians at Thermopylae most
people don’t know it was also a land of slaves, the Helots. They were not only
slaves of the citizens but also of the country. In the opening scene set in
Lakonia we witness how true this is. In an annual ritual the sons of the Spartan
free men hunt and kill Helots as a rite of passage. With this as a set up the
scene shifts to a basin in Eastern Lakonia on a farm where some helots labor for
their masters. The script brings us insight into three of these laborers, a
crippled man named Klaros, a female Damar, and the helot in charge, Terpander.
Even among slaves there is a pecking order but Terpander will be reminded of his
place in the world when a troop of Spartans she shelter and hospitality one
rainy evening. While most of the helots know their place and do the bidding of
the soldiers, no matter how degrading it may be, it is Terpander that
surprisingly speaks when he shouldn’t and they all pay the consequence. Part of
what Terpander talks about is gone into detail in the aforementioned text page.
The Spartans were not alone on the battle field, nor did they carry their own
shields. The helots were there with them carrying their shields for them until
they were needed and many died alongside the soldiers. There are other things
about Spartan culture that are only found in scholarly works and Kieron plans to
bring more of that truth to life in this comic. So far it is not a pretty
picture. The Spartan soldiers are being portrayed in very unfavorable terms. It
is a fascinating subject and is sure to get more interesting along the way.
Kelly’s art grabs you right from the start, especially the facial emotions.
Bellaire’s coloring is a perfect fit for this kind of work. This is a wonderful
work that will prove educational to most of us and entertaining for all.

Title: TRIPLE HELIX
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Clash
Publisher: IDW
Creator: John Byrne
Colors: Leonard O’Grady
Letters: Robbie Robbins
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

There is an old saying I have often used in reviews in the past, “Every comic is
someone’s first comic.” John Byrne would do well to keep that in mind. This is
not a series starting from scratch but a continuation of some characters and
plots from last year’s series TRIO. The stars of that series were called Rock,
Paper and Scissors. They are here as well as more heroes Apex, Cataclysm, Dart,
Javelin and Pylon. The issue begins right in the heat of battle as Cataclysm,
Javelin and Apex take on a beast unaware it is actually their comrade Rock. I
suppose a new reader would not care that some of these characters have been
around before but knowing they were I feel Byrne could have at least given a
brief introductory summary of who they are. Most of the time I find the appeal
of Byrne’s comics is the art. You always know what to expect and in some cases
the faces are very close to other characters in other comics over the years.
Still, he has a dynamic style that works well when the action is the key, and
this book has lots of action. Each of the characters is given time in the
spotlight. Frankly some of the super powers are a bit goofy but it works in the
Byrne universe. And speaking of that the major villain is one from his older
series NEXT MEN. This is non-stop action from beginning to end and despite the
lack of foreknowledge of what led up to these events the plot is easy to follow.
This is Byrne playing with super heroes of his own making and having fun doing
it. He leaves you with a new threat to the heroes so you know it is not over
yet. It is not heavy drama and that is not a bad thing. I think it is worth
checking out.

Title: SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Power Couple
Publisher: DC
Creators: Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster/William Moulton Marston
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Tony S. Daniels
Inker: Batt
Colors: Tomeu Morey
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

DC has developed the relationship between its super powered male and female
stars for a while so it was a natural to feature them together in their own
title. This will serve to focus both on their relationship as well as their
ability to function as a team when duty calls. In this case there is an
emergency and scenes of the pair responding run through the issue. There is a
huge storm off the Norwegian coast and the Justice League alerts Superman while
he is with Wonder Woman. This is the major plot of the issue as Superman rushes
into the eye of the storm and is shot right back out by an unseen force leaving
Diana to deal with the collateral damage he causes. By the end of the issue we
see what it was at the center of it all, and it is a doozy! In the sub plots
Clark has a meeting with Cat about the need for the two to break a big story on
their blog. Little does she know that there is scoop sitting right under her
nose if she knows where to look for it. Meanwhile Diana is sparring with Hessia
while discussing the plight of the Amazons and Diana’s feeling about the status
of her relationship with Clark. The two plots merge as she meets Clark for
dinner and they discuss his desire to keep part of their relationship a secret
and her desire to open him up to some of her ways. The scripting is pretty good
in both the dialogue and structure. Tony Daniels is an excellent artist and the
finishes by the rest of the team bring out the best of it. I am not sure this
title will do well on its own but it will certainly draw fans of the other
titles featuring the two main characters so it has got a lot going for it.

Title: FOREVER EQUAL: ARKHAM WAR
Issue Number: 1 (of 6)
Title Story: Batman Death March
Title Arc: Arkham War
Publisher: DC
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Scot Eason
Inkers: Jaime Mendoza, Norm Rapmund & Mick Gray
Colors: Andrew Dalhouse
Letters: Taylor Esposito
Cover Artist: Jason Fabok & Blond
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Villain

After the Villains of Earth 3 took over and defeated the Justice League lots of
other things happened. They released the prisoners from all the major super
villain prisons and recruited many of them into the evil Alfred’s Secret Society
of Super Villains. In Gotham chaos reigns. The Penguin is the mayor and the city
has been divided into sectors controlled by Professor Pyg, Mr. Freeze, Killer
Croc, Clayface, Poison Ivy and others. Scarecrow is his right-hand man. But
there is a new player in town. Bane has returned to Gotham after freeing the
prisoners at Blackgate. There is tension enough among the various sector
villains but some fear a war with Bane is coming. Bane had a specific reason to
take over Blackgate. There is a secret hidden there that will aid him in his
ultimate plan, to take over Gotham. This issue sets the groundwork for the
action to come. It lays out the reality of the new status quo from the
frustration of Gordon to the nearly free hand the villains have to do as they
please. But Bane is a major force to be reckoned with, as on one of the Arkham
villains finds out by the end of the issue. Stories with so many characters are
sometimes difficult to follow if not presented properly. So far Tomasi has
handled it well by limiting their exposure to key plot points that move things
forward. We may not know motivations or end game plans but the wheels are
starting to spin toward the major conflicts. The art team does a splendid job. I
am particularly impressed with the coloring work of Blond. You do not need a
major hero to have an entertaining story. With such a rich cast of characters to
draw from this promises to be a lot more than interesting.

*****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!! WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!
If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only. Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week’s trivia question:

Where did Tony Stark meet Happy Hogan?
They met at a race track. The winner by the dice is Keith Martin.

Here is your no prize question:

Radar is an acronym. What does RADAR stand for?

Radio Detection And Ranging is the long form of radar.

THIS WEEK’S TRIVIA QUESTION:

He was the radio voice of Superman, but he was better known for what quiz show?

Here is your no prize question:

What is the phrase shortened to the common term sonar?

Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don’t hesitate to send in an answer – even days after it appears.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Comic Reviews 10/12/13

REVIEWS

The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.

Title: GRINDHOUSE: DOORS OPEN AT MIDNIGHT
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Bee Vixens from Mars – part 1
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: Alex De Campi
Artist: Chris Peterson
Colors: Nolan Woodard
Letters: Alex De Campi
Cover Artist: Francesco Francavilla
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Horror
Mature – Comics on the Edge

This comic has the feel of a “B” movie (or bee movie if you prefer) which I
guess is the point. We have Jimmy the local sheriff out on a beer run when he
gets word from his female one-eyed deputy Garcia that she found a body. The guy
is in the front seat of his car with his guts on the seat and his head gone.
There is evidence that a girl was with him but she is nowhere to be seen. Oh,
and there are bees flying around, which is unusual for this time of night. There
is a trail of blood leading to a rose bush and what they find leads Garcia to
exclaim that the village is cursed because of the bees that fly at night. Well
the action that follows shows there is more to it than a curse. And in true
cinema fashion the opening scene has two overly endowed females licking honey
from each other’s fingers so there is a bit of not so subtle eroticism as well.
The art is the best part of the comic. It presents the action and emotion in a
nice style with a comedic sense when needed and more serious in the bits of
horror. The plot is not hard to follow but it is a bit here and there at times.
It leads up to what should be a major point and then breaks away. It is
something you would see watching a TV soap opera. But this is not high
literature by any means. There are attacking bees, a much larger creature of
some sort only seen in shadows, an accident that is more an omen than
coincidence, and of course the final reveal occurs just as Garcia thinks she has
taken care of the bee problem. It is almost wild enough to be laughable, but not
quite.

Title: THE OCCULTIST
Issue Number: 1 (of 5)
Publisher: Dark Horse
Creator: Mike Richardson
Writers: Mike Richardson & Tim Seeley
Artist: Mike Norton
Colors: Allen Passalaqua
Letters: Nate Piekos
Cover Artist: Steve Morris
Price (USD): $3.50
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Horror
Mature – Comics on the Edge

This character has appeared before in the pages of DARK HORSE PRESENTS and now
gets his own five-issue mini-series. Rob Bailey is a college student in
Plymouth, NH who has a unique power. An ancient book of spells called the Sword
has bound itself to him. He is still learning to use its power to protect
himself and others from Mystics and creatures determined to kill him and take
the Sword. This has made his life in both aspects somewhat out of control.
Fortunately he is working with Detective Anna Melendez whom he has a crush on
though she keeps things strictly professional. His other confidant is James
Charles who is a mystic himself. Secretly he is not Rob’s friend and is seeking
a way to wrest the Sword from Rob to extend his life because his body is
decaying and the magic he has used to keep himself alive is wearing off. In the
opening scene we see Rob and Anna track down and defeat a group of Wights, which
are angry spirits of starved people haunting their place of death hoping to sate
their hunger by eating living flesh. It is a good exposure to the power of the
Sword and the dynamic of the two as the work together. Later that night Rob
leaves his body as his astral from seeks out Anna in her dreams. What he finds
is not what he expected. In the subplot James is getting more anxious about his
condition and when he is spurned by those who helped him before he reaches out
to another character that may shake things up next issue. This is basically a
set up issue that accomplishes its goals for the new reader. It introduces and
fleshes out the major characters and advances two plots enough to get us
interested in the things to come. The art is top notch. The team handles some
wildly diverse venues called for in the plot giving each a different feel
whether in the real world or mystical realm. It is a solid first issue. Fans of
the genre will not be disappointed.

Title: BUSHIDO
Issue Number: 1 (of 5)
Title Story: The Way of the Warrior
Publisher: Image
Creator: Inspired by the screenplay “Rising Sun” by Shahin Chandrasoma
Writer: Rob Levin
Artist: Jessada Sutthi
Letters: Troy Peteri
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Martial Arts/Horror
Teen Plus

This is an interesting mix of two genres – the way of the samurai known as
Bushido and the horror of what appear to be vampires. It begins on a ship in
the Pacific Ocean in 1663 where everyone on board is being slaughtered by the
mythical creatures. Only a young boy escapes to the sea and is found on the
beach by Isamu who takes him into his home and raises him as a second son. He is
now called Kichiro and trains with Isamu’s actual son, Orochi, in Bushido. Isamu
even gave Kichiro extra training but they all know that a Gaijin could never
become a samurai. As Orochi receives his Katana in the official ceremony the
Shogun has another honor for Orochi. He requests that Orochi marry his daughter
and one day succeed him as Shogun of Nippon. So we see some underlying tension
between the foster brothers. Orochi resents the extra attention his father
always gave Kichiro while Kichiro is envious that Orochi has everything he ever
wanted, including the girl he also loves. Mitsuko loves Kichiro as well but he
will not dishonor his brother by running away with her. Instead he gives a
medallion, the last memory of his parents who died long ago on the ship. That
piece of jewelry may have a bearing on the plot later in the story. With nothing
left but heartache Kichiro decides to leave his new family for the good of all.
But while awaiting for his ship to sail the monsters that killed his family
attack the patrons of the bar where he waits. He recognizes them and learns more
about how they fight. When he overhears their master plan he rushes to warn his
father and the Shogun. This is a tale of tragic loss and search for redemption.
Kichiro is the hero but continues to find himself faced with barriers to
happiness. Even the person who should be his best friend spurns him for the
wrong reasons. Adding the supernatural creatures as antagonists brings an
element of heightened danger and perhaps even more tragedy for our hero. The art
style is unique and fascinating. The colors are all spot on and the detail and
layouts make it all the more fascinating. With four more issues to go there are
many paths the plot can follow. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Title: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: The Avengers Protocol
Publisher: Marvel
Creator: Based on the animated TV show by Man of Action
Adapted by: Joe Caramagna
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero
All Ages

If you have been following Marvel Universe on Disney XD you will probably
recognize the storyline in this first issue of the comic adaptation. In fact the
only credit given is to Joe Caramagna which leads me to believe the art is taken
directly from individual cells of the cartoon show. If that is truly the case
then it works most of the time but in some panels are dark and muddled. You
can’t turn up the brightness on a comic book. The story does indeed follow the
plot of the pilot episode of the cartoon. The lineup is the same as it was in
the movie. The Avengers are not a permanent team now but Tony Stark is keeping
tabs on the members in case they need help. When he spies Captain America
confronted by the Red Skull he springs into action and flies off to aid Cap. As
he arrives on the scene he witnesses what apparently is Cap being disintegrated
by the Red Skull. The Skull has upgraded his tech and disables Iron Man’s armor
then MODOK appears and they teleport away. Tony quickly initiates the Avengers
Protocol calling the team back together under his leadership. All but the Black
Widow answer the call and they head off in a quinjet to track the tachyon
particles from the teleportation. Though they find the general area they are
confronted by agents of A.I.M. right away. Finally Widow shows up and has a plan
to find the Red Skull. All through this it appears that Tony does not understand
involves more than just saying, “I am in charge.” As the plot moves forward we
learn that the Red Skull actually teleported Captain America to his secret base
and with the help of the new technology he has switched bodies with Steve
Rogers. The team will now have to bring themselves to fight this dreaded enemy
who is in the body of their leader. There are more surprises ahead and the
cliffhanger ending is a doozy. It is a fun story that works as well in a comic
as it did on TV. The characterizations are a bit different from the movie, as
you would expect but kids of all ages will enjoy it.

To fill out the issue there are several short comics starring the Lego Super
Hero versions of the Avengers. These are more directed to the younger crowd. One
is based on the nature of true heroes as Captain America shows Thor that you do
not need to have super powers to be a hero. The other two adventures have our
heroes first capturing Loki and then later thwarting his plan to escape using
Hulk as a dupe. These stories are good fun as well. Finally we get a preview of
the new comic just out this week based on the other Marvel Universe cartoon,
HULK AND THE AGENTS OF S.M.A.S.H.

Title: THE WITCHING HOUR
Issue Number: One-Shot
Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Cover Artist: Jenny Frison – Variant by Julian Totino Tedesco
Price (USD): $7.99
Release Date: Now on Sale
Genre: Horror Anthology
Mature – Comics on the Edge

This is the latest of the Vertigo oversized anthology one-shots. There are nine
individual entries in the horror theme, most of which have to do with witches.
In the interest of recognition I have included credits for all of them.

“Daniel” by Steve Beach is a story of Charles, an older man who is kind to three
young girls who are being bullied by an older boy in the neighborhood. They
return the favor by returning one night dressed as witches. They claimed they
had a séance and Daniel, a friend of the man from long ago, contacted them and
asked them to get Charles to come to the séance. It is an interesting story of a
love lost and how these three girls help Charles find his way.

“Birdie” by Lauren Beukes & Gerhard Human is set in Capetown, South Africa in
the year 2020. Birdie is a witch of sorts. The birds pick up things from the
dump and tell her who to bring them to. When the recipients touch them the
ghosts of the owner talk to them or show them scenes from their past. Sometimes
this is good and sometimes not. When some local gangsters decide to use Birdie
to find out what happened to one of their own her power reveals more than they
thought and justice is served.

“Mars to Stay” by Brett Lewis & Cliff Chiang is probably my favorite in the
book. It is the first settlement on Mars. It was decided the only way to settle
Mars was to make the journey a one way trip. Each year a small crew would be
sent with materials for the rest along with their own supplies and shelter for
themselves until eventually the colony would be self-sustaining. The story
begins in the third year. The Americans came first and then the following year
the Japanese contingent came. Now it is time for the third ship to arrive but
something goes wrong and the ship with four new settlers and next year’s
supplies burn up in the atmosphere. Shortly thereafter they learn they will have
to wait it out for a while and then ten days later there is no communication
from Earth at all. How everyone reacts in the days and weeks that follow is the
crux of the story. It is somewhat predictable but is an intense look at human
nature. Very well done with good art.

“This Witch’s Work” by Annie Mok & Emily Carroll – I didn’t really get this one.
It was too disjointed and the art made it harder to comprehend.

“Legs” by Kelly Sue Deconnick & Ming Doyle is told in two stages. First the lead
character Ellen as a young girl who is told by her mother to sleep with her
hands over her ears to keep the spiders out of her brain. The scene shifts to
years later when she is a grad student and is out with friends at a bar. They
joke about the old admonition about spiders while one young man whose nickname
is Legs begins to hit on her and they hit it off. The ending is a typical horror
story ending. The art is done in three colors, which is very effective for this
story.

“Fellow Travelers” by Matthew Sturges & Shawn McManus is kind of off the wall.
It is basically a “what if” story that changes the Salem witch trials to anti-
communist trials with the results being the same for the victims. Now it is 1953
and this has led to a world where witchcraft is more prevalent, something that
the governments of the world are trying to eradicate. The current congress has a
House Un-Natural Activities Committee looking to do the same thing the real
world version did to communists. The hero of the story is actually the
playwright Arthur Miller. He has hooked up with a woman whom revealed herself as
a witch to him. Her name is Norma Jean. She has a plan to stop the persecution
of witches and it involves Arthur writing a particular play that can be used in
conjunction with a certain spell. They have been found out by the feds and J.
Edgar Hoover himself is chasing them through the streets of Washington as Arthur
tries to finish up the play while Norma Jean fends off their pursuers with her
witchcraft. It is silly at times but is a coherent plot that wraps up nicely,
though as in real life everyone does not live happily ever after.

“Little Witch” by Ales Kot & Morgan Jeske was not that impressive to me. It
involves an Afghan vet who is haunted by his inability to say a young girl he
befriended there.

“Run Ragged” by Toby Litt, Mark Buckingham & Victor Santos is the third and
final chapter of the Dead Boy Detectives story that has been running through
these anthologies. Charles and Edwin have been on a case to find a missing cat.
Along the way they were abducted by an old man who runs a school of similarly
abducted children. Most of them are too scared to try to get away but one makes
the effort and the boys try to help. They are followed by the old man and the
situation has become life or death, for them and the cat. This episode wraps up
the story. I like the art but the characters and plot are not something I care
for.

“Rise” Mariah Huehner & Tula Lotay is the final entry and again involves a
witch. Elena is a girl who has decided to save up her money and travel on the
cheap in England. After only a week she has had all her money stolen and is
seeking shelter in the woods from the rain. She finds a small cave which appears
to be a crude tomb. Sure enough a ghost rises and soon possesses her as it tells
Elena the tragic tale of how it was tortured and burned as a witch long ago. Now
with the help of Elena’s body she can return to the town and use its ghostly
powers to exact revenge. The ending is not what I expected. The art in this one
starts of nice and then when the supernatural elements begins it really shines.

Title: CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL
Issue Number: October 2103
Publisher: Image Comics
Price (USD): $4.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Anthology fundraiser

I think these “annuals” are really coming out more often than once a year. This
one lacks the usual text page about how it all came together. This comic is
comprised of work that is contributed no charge to help raise funds for the
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization that financially aids
creators, publishers and retailers in legal battles over censorship issues. To
learn more about the details and how you can contribute go to WWW.CBLDF.ORG
This is an anthology that ranges from true stories of the hardships of comic
creators to individual takes on censorship, sometimes metaphorically. Some are
just brief shorts with no connection – just contributed to aid the cause.

“Don’t Open It” by Fabio Moon – a one-page strip that warns a young girl about
having ideas.

“Dun’s Return” by Richard Corben – Corben in his unmistakable style tells the
story of a comic creator hounded by DA for his horror comics, even after a judge
cleared the way for publication.

“The Shoot” by Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman – a farcical story that imagines
that the motion picture camera was patented by Thomas Edison and his patent
company hired goons to anyone from using cameras to make motion pictures. The
story is about one such rogue company and how they thwart efforts to stop their
creative freedom.

“Charles De Ghoul: The Curse of the Empty Suit” by Jeremy Atkins, D.A. Cox &
Andy Owens – a fun story about one of those late night horror picture hosts
whose ratings have been not good enough for the advertisers. His unique solution
to the problem is the punch line.

“Hoax Hunters: Grievance Day” by Steve Seeley, Mike Moreci, Joe Eisma, Greg &
Fake and JW Campbell- the Hoax Hunters take one day a year to listen to
grievances from actual “hoaxes”. The story centers on Bigfoot who has been
blamed for things he did not do by a certain broadcaster to the point that
people are hunting to shoot him – not with cameras but guns. The hunters come up
with a unique solution to his problem.

“Captain Midnight: Captain Misinformation” by Josh Williamson & Dennis Culver –
the Captain has a hard time adjusting to the media of today, having been
transplanted from WWII times. Whether it be newspaper, TV or various internet
outlets, none seem to have nay journalistic integrity when it comes to getting
the story right. After venting enough he draws his own conclusion about what to
believe.

“My Hero” by Art Baltazar & Franco – this is just a cute one-page strip showing
the generational difference of opinion about what it takes to be a hero

“A Mustache at My Heels” by Paul Tobin & Juan Ferreyra – a story of a stage and
cabaret comic and stage showman. His tale begins in 1910 and runs through the
beginning of WWII as his initial success later makes him a target when he begins
doing satire about the Nazi’s.

“Punk Rock is Out To Lunch” by Leah Sottile, Emi Lenox, Michelle Madsen & Nate
Piekos – this is a call to arms for the sake of free speech. Leah uses the
situation of the jailing of Pussy Riot in Russia as a seminal event that should
have everyone speaking up rather than the fearing consequences

“Hack/Slash: Avert Your Eyes” by Tim Seeley, Andy Kuhn, Zac Atkinson and Crank!
– Cassandra and Vlad check into a motel after three days in the dessert when
they notice black censor bars across a video they watch on a phone and then on
Vlad’s crotch when he strips for a shower. They will have to break the third
wall to find out who is behind this sudden censorship

“What If Wertham Was Right?” by Josh Williamson & Ron Chan – in a world where
the post Wertham world resulted in comics being banned altogether three young
boys find a stash of comics. So the question is, was Wertham right? Will sudden
exposure to this banned media corrupt their innocence? Heh, heh!

*****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!! WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!

If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only. Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week’s trivia question:

What do the letters in the logo of the comic book publisher IDW stand for?

IDW stands for Idea and Design Works. The winner by the dice is
Erin O’Connor.

Here was your no prize question:

The word laser is actually an acronym. What does L.A.S.E.R. stand for?

The acronym is for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

THIS WEEK’S TRIVIA QUESTION:

Where did Tony Stark meet Happy Hogan?

Here is your no prize question:
Radar is an acronym. What does RADAR stand for?
Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don’t hesitate to send in an answer – even days after it appears.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Comic Reviews 10-4-13

I got a kick out of the back cover, which states boldly, “FOR MATURE READERS
DUH! DON’T SELL THIS TO A KID WHAT ARE YOU NUTS? SERIOUSLY”
Having read some of the pre-press for this comic I was intrigued by the premise.
Suzie learned at a young age that when she had sex, specifically when she had an orgasm,
that time would stop around her. She discovered this accidentally while in the bathtub,
trying to escape the wailings of her drunken mother, still grieving the untimely
death of her husband. As time went on in her teen years she tried to discover if
this was something everyone experienced and like other teens began exploring her
own sexuality. This is the most interesting part of the story. Fraction is
showing us his versatility by getting away from the normal super hero stuff he
is noted for. He challenges Chip Zdarsky with a script that jumps from different
times in Suzie’s life, has her adult character in some of those scenes breaking
the third wall and even has a scene where Suzie is getting sex education in the
girl’s room from a classmate who draws crude stick figures of various sexual
positions. Zdarsky does a bang up job (pardon the pun) through it all with well
thought out layouts and great pencil and ink work. The main story is about the
present as Suzie runs into a boy and discovers for the first time that she is
not the only one with her unique ability. What they will do with that discovery
is hinted at by the title of the comic. This is definitely for mature readers
but I found the nudity and sex essential to the story and appropriate without
trying to be titillating. I am interested to see where Fraction will take this
comic now that the basic premise is dealt with and the main characters are
established. If you are not offended by the visual content you might want to
check it out.

Title: THE OTHER DEAD
Issue Number: 1
Based on a film treatment by Digger T. Mesch
Publisher: IDW
Creators: Joshua Ortega & Digger T. Mesch
Writer: Joshua Ortega
Artist: Qing Ping Mui
Colors: Blond
Letters: Tom B. Long
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Horror
Mature – Comics on the Edge

It was only a matter of time before someone would come up with another twist on
zombies. It probably has already been done but I am not aware of it. The “Other”
referred to in the title are animals. In this story it is the animals who are
turning into zombies after they are killed. Like many zombie stories the
infestation begins in one area or a few areas and then spreads. This plot begins
with two separate incidents of zombie animals. The opening scene is actually not
the first one but it is the one that gets national attention. A three man
hunting party in Texas celebrates bagging a deer. The older man who took the
shot is a famous politician whom you will figure out if you catch a small clue
in the dialogue. Later in the issue word reaches the president about the deaths
of the hunters and another infestation in Louisiana. It is the situation in
Kenner Louisiana that is the focus of most of this issue. The action centers
around a small family and their activities leading up to the zombie duck attack
– yes that’s right, ducks! There are several pages in the small farm house
showing a pre-teen Tommy, who has been so sick he can’t keep down his food.
Whether that has any bearing on the infestation remains to be seen. Meanwhile
his older brother Az has been out until early in the morning with his band
mates. He told his girlfriend they would be practicing a new direction for the
band but in reality we see that they went to a local duck farm to slaughter the
birds for their blood. It appears this is a part of some voodoo ritual they plan
to carry out. But what will happen when the ducks rise from the dead and attack.
I mean, how bad can it be since ducks have no teeth? The best part of this comic
is the art. It is finely detailed with good perspective and layouts. The colors
by Blond are spectacular. I can’t give as much praise for the plot. We have the
drama going on with Az and his friends, Tommy’s illness is strongly emphasized
along with mention of a special necklace he owns that belonged to his
grandmother, there are other scenes showing Az’s girlfriend at work as a
stripper. Each one of these seem over long as far as advancing the plot. The
only likeable character is Tommy. It is hard to see how a major story will come
out of this. I would be hesitant to get the second issue because the first did
not give me enough to care about. Maybe I am missing something. See if you
agree.

Title: WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN
Issue Number: 36
Title Story: Part 5
Title Arc: Battle of the Atom
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Inker: Andrew Currie
Colors: Matt Milla with Edgar Delgado
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist: Arthur Adams & Peter Steigerwald
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero

This is another one of the titles involved in this X-Men crossover event that I
do not normally read. I found that I am now wanting to stay with the whole story
so as not to miss key elements along the way. If you haven’t been keeping up and
don’t want to know major plot points of this issue then turn away now. It is
just too complex to explain without giving out some details. So we have the
problem created by the original X-Men coming forward to the present at the
request of the current day Beast hoping to prevent the problems facing all the
mutants today by giving the younger X-Men knowledge of their future. Maybe they
can help bring the fractured mutant groups closer together. The faction lead by
Scott Summers (Uncanny X-Men) are sought out by the authorities as they try to
recruit emerging mutants before the government gets to them. Wolverine leads the
others at the Jean Grey School. Most of the adults, er, present day X-Men have
concluded the originals have to go back to the past. Jean has realized if they
go back the professor will realize they have knowledge of the future and will
wipe the memories from their minds. She does not want to be forced back and
convinces young Scott to run away with her. They eventually find their way to
the remains of Utopia where older Scott and his group are. Young Angel had
decided to join older Scott’s band rather than stay at the school with the
others. To complicate things further a group of X-Men from the future showed up
two chapters ago and they also demand the young X-Men return to their own time
period. Among them the one dressed as Xorn was revealed to be an older Jean
Grey. We can only assume that this Jean is the younger Jean who never returned
to the past and so is part of this future group. Clearly she realizes her
mistake in not returning to the past and so she has come to the present, her
relative past, to convince herself to go back to the past! (My teeth hurt just
talking about this stuff.) As the story resumes in this issue future Jean is in
a psychic stand-off with young Jean, Emma and her Cuckoos. Wolverine is also
there with the mix of future and current X-Men who have been looking for young
Scott and Jean. This contest of the minds is the first real battle of the event,
in my opinion. Some of the others get into minor scuffles but this is the big
event. The outcome has a major impact moving forward and frankly I did not see
this coming. That only leaves young Bobby and Hank back at the Jean Grey School
waiting for everyone to return. They have been sitting on the sidelines mostly
but that is about to change as Magik appears suddenly to tell them that they
must accompany her to the future. She feels there is something about these
future X-Men that is not right, something hidden. The three will try to find
out for themselves as they teleport to the Jean Grey School of the future only
to find, (are you ready for it?), yet ANOTHER group of future X-Men. There comes
a point in comic book franchises as the legacy is passed to creator after
creator where the original vision is lost along the way. While these multitude
of books do very well financially something is lost along the way. Over the
years many new characters have been added until there are too many to keep track
of. Now it seems like the premise of this event was a good one yet we find even
more characters are being added as not all of these people from the future are
older versions of the current day characters. There is so much happening here
with time travel it feels like a twisted knot that will be never untied.
Furthermore, if the original X-Men do go back to the past does that mean that
their title, THE ALL NEW X-MEN, will be cancelled? I don’t think that is going
to happen. So I am still wondering if this whole thing will somehow have a
meaningful resolution after all ten parts play out. IF at the end everyone ends
up in the same places they were when the whole thing started it will have been a
big waste of time and money. Five more parts to go for these guys to do
something that has more relevance than that.

*****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!! WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!
If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only. Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week’s trivia question:
Which comic book featured the first appearance of Doctor Doom outside of
FANTASTIC FOUR?
Dr. Doom appeared in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #5. No winner this week.

Here is your no prize question:
Which celebrity is featured in the very last scene of the classic comedy movie
AIRPLANE?

The last scene has Hennie Youngman still waiting for the cab driver (Robert
Hays) since the beginning of the movie.

THIS WEEK’S TRIVIA QUESTION:
What do the letters in the logo of the comic book publisher IDW stand for?

Here is your no prize question:
The word laser is actually an acronym. What does L.A.S.E.R. stand for?

Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don’t hesitate to send in an answer – even days after it appears.

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